BookExpo 2012 Awards!
This year's BookExpo was more low key, but eventful none-the-less. Attendees were greeted by mega scaffolding in the front of the Javits Center to make way for a new subway line. Though an inconvenience this year, it will be a great thing in the future as mass transit will be at our doorstep, allowing us to carry away even more swag, autographed books and giveaways from future BEAs!
So, let's get started! Here are the BookExpo 2012 Awards:
We're not really sure who got the task of donning this Captain Underpants balloon suit for hours, but there's a good chance there might be an Intern in there. So, whoever you are, thank you for letting us pose and take pictures with one of our favorite Children's Book characters.
most creative contest/book tie-in held at BookExpo award
This award goes to Abbeville Press and their contest to promote Alphabet Everywhere by Elliott Kaufman, a visual experience showing:how letters of the alphabet can be found in unexpected places - architectural forms, in everyday objects, and in nature.BEA attendees had the opportunity to be creative and challenged as they searched for objects in Javits Center that formed a letter of the alphabet. It seemed timely too especially since major construction loomed over Javits, offering even more opportunity to discover a letter photo op.
The best part is that a new winner will be selected every month through December 31, 2012. So, even if you missed the BEA contest, you still have a chance to enter. Just visit http://www.facebook.com/AlphabetEverywhereABC, "Like" the page, and post your photo! Good luck and have fun!
the 'not so good to be a mouse at BookExpo' award!
The expert puppeteers from Folkmanis demonstrate the fun, yet sometimes harsh reality of the animal puppet world. The third frame has been removed for your protection, but you can probably guess what happened next.
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| Rest in peace mouse puppet |
super great book cover award
Inspired by Disney's Haunted House theme ride where images move inside the picture frames as you walk past them in the 'Hallway of Portraits,' this award goes to the Professor Gargoyle super fun lenticular book cover (play video to see cover). This will surely be a favorite with our young readers, who hopefully don't tear off the cover because its soooo cool! The premise of the story is pretty clever too! After his family relocates, Robert, in middle grade school, finds himself in a new town and at a new school where he doesn't know anyone. The only thing is that this brand new, state-of-the art school is made of recycled material from the town's 'haunted house' which officials decided to tear down and use the parts to build the new school. That's right, and soon, strange happenings and hauntings creep into the school setting the stage for this new series, Lovecraft Middle School.
YAY! Made in America! award
In an unexpected, but good turn of events, attendees were able to visit the Gift Shop Pavilion (and the Remainders Pavilion) a day earlier on June 4, 2012. The Gift Shop Pavilion also highlighted five vendors whose products are 'Made in America,' including YAY! Life!, which offered these most amazing magnets:
best reference made at BookExpo award
This may seem obvious, but no, it was not "Fifty Shades of Grey," even though there was an increase in erotica literature publishers this year and many exhibitors exclaimed that their book was "the next Fifty Shades of Grey but better" (which is hard to believe, well, you know, so I've heard). Anyway, the oversize topic that spilled into Book Expo was, yes, of course, those 16+ ounce sugary drinks that King Bloomberg proposes to ban in NYC. And as we all know, librarians, booksellers and authors just love censorship of any kind, so this was the perfect platform to denounce, through quips, wisecracks and pot shots, this fizzy decision.
enter 'the Society' award!
Speaking of dystopian action, this award goes to the interactive exhibit where attendees had the chance to enter 'the Society, step into Cassia's world, and have their picture taken from inside the orb. Likened to the Hunger Games craze, the Matched trilogy by Ally Condie concludes with the release of the much anticipated Reached on November.13.2012.
'Happy Anniversary to us' award
This year, many publishers proclaimed a milestone. Whether you enjoyed cake with R.L. Stine to celebrate 20 years of Goosebumps, or we're lucky enough to snag a Waldo tote honoring his 25 years of hiding, the Exhibitors Hall was filled with fun and celebration. We wish all our exhibitors and publishers a happy, happy anniversary!
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| Brain Quest is 20, boy, those kids look good for their age |
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| Quirk Books celebrates 20 years with this love of books tote |
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| A Wrinkle in Time seems ageless as it turns 50 |
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| Happy 25th Waldo! |
attention to detail award
This award goes to Library Journal for its napkin design, which added a nice touch for the librarians while they rested, mingled and enjoyed refreshments in the Librarians' Lounge. Thank you!so much more than just a book jacket award
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| Blood Feud by Lisa Alther |
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| Map of famous feud sites |
Hold on, there's more! If you completely unfold and open the book jacket, inside is the family tree for the Hatfield & McCoy families. Now that is some book jacket!
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| Family trees of the Hatfields & McCoys |
what's in a name award!
BEA welcomed book bloggers to the first BEA Bloggers Conference! And just as a book cover can potentially lure in a reader, so too can a blog name. From this year's attendees, here are the top 3 blog names whose content lives up to the name:
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| Hey Lady! Hope its okay that I used your logo here |
1st Place: Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'?
2nd Place: From Left to Write
3rd Place: Mercurial Musings
In the 'After Hours' book blog category (and for all you Fifty Shades of Grey fans out there), this award goes to The Obscured Vixen
In addition, this award also goes to all the book bloggers out there who spend their time and energy promoting the love of reading and books!
best talk bubble award!Congratulations to BEA Bloggers on your first award! Your talk bubble showcases all the major elements of BEA, including the most important one--Swag! Yay! Swag!
dogs rocked BEA this year award!
The presence of canines was ever present this year, ranging from book covers to swag to catalog covers to exhibits to actual dogs.
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| Bo, the guide dog |
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| McGill-Queen's University Press catalog cover |
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| Above: doggie bag swag from DogEarCreative Below: only a few of the many dog exhibit displays & book covers |
best cat book cover award
Although high attendance went to the dogs (not literally though as overall attendance was up this year), our feline friends graced the book cover of a few interesting titles.
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| 1st Place: might include the poem "Ode to Litter Box" |
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| 2nd Place: oh my, please do not do this! |
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| 3rd Place: Who rocks? That's right, cats!!! |
Although these awards generally spotlight the importance of swag, it also serves to point out those occasional mishaps that pop up from time to time at BookExpo. And such is the case with 'The Hottest Graphic Novels of 2012,' which was oddly omitted from the Book Buzz line-up! Perhaps the sleeper program of BEA, this stellar panel of booksellers, editors and a librarian presented one of the best, richest and pack-filled programs this year! To see their recommendations, visit Graphic Novel Reporter.
the best Book Buzz award!
The winner--all of them, including the 'The Hottest Graphic Novels of 2012,' which this blog unofficially recognizes as part of the 2012 Book Buzz!
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| Attendees spilling out of the YA Book Buzz |
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| YA titles, if you survived the stampede in obtaining them |
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| Middle School Book Buzz selections, including Professor Gargoyle |
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| Adult Book Buzz titles |
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| The horn used, allegedly, to let presenters know when to wrap it up |
1st Place: Sheep are the best in may ways like helping us stay warm w/fuzzy sweaters or going to sleep by counting them. Thanks Fondo De Cultura Econmica!
2nd Place: Oh, how cute, lil hamsters in the new counting book Hamsters Holding Hands by Kass Reich
3rd Place: and our beloved Baker & Taylor cats
"hey, we turned 175 years so let's give away an awesome commemorative tote" award
Can you imagine our lives without totes? Inconceivable, I know! Well, the founders of Little Brown had to bear life without totes in the New World, so they would probably be very pleased that a solid, durable tote was given away to commemorate their long history of outstanding publishing. Oh my, that 1837 was quite an eventful year--Queen Victoria ascended the British throne at age 18, Martin Van Buren was inaugurated as the 8th president, Michigan became our 26th U.S. state, a riot took place in New York over sugary drinks, oops, I mean, the high cost of flour, and Charles Little and James Brown incorporated their publishing house in Boston and went on to publish the works of Louisa May Alcott, Benjamin Franklin and J.D. Salinger. Happy Anniversary Little, Brown!
best swag award
Although swag was very limited this year, almost nonexistent this year, the quality made up for the lack of quantity. This year's winners offered practical desk swag!
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| 1st Place: The New York Review of Books' author mouse pad |
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| 2nd Place: WaveCloud stands alone with this cell phone holder |
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| 3rd Place: A portable Post-it case thanks to the Copyright Clearance Center |
best tote
Year after year, exhibitors offer totes showcasing a new book, or celebrating an anniversary or simply promoting the love of books and reading! This year, owls, monkeys, bats and angry birds swooped up the awards for best totes! Congratulations to Capstone, National Geographic and Simon & Schuster and thank you to all the exhibitors for offering really great totes!
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| 1st Place: Yup, there's no monkeying around about reading, that's for sure! |
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| 1st Place: Capstone knows that owls are always wise and always right! |
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| 2nd Place: National Geographic lets those angry birds vent |
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| 3rd Place: Simon & Schuster: A little bat's coming of age story... |
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hangs in the balance |
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| Clockwise: Chronicle Books; IPG's dreamy catalog cover; ladies promoting Dr. Beth, who advises embracing your child's defiance to better rear them; Exhibitor banners; one of Workman's always visual displays; and the C-SPAN's 2012 bus; |
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